Canines naturally coexist in packs.
They are social animals that require affection and company like humans.
However if they are deprived the above attributes they are likely to be distressed, a syndrome commonly referred to as dog separation anxiety or separation anxiety in canines.
This syndrome is extremely disturbing and annoying to dog owners and their neighbors.
It also denies the dog owner and his owner a chance to develop a healthy relationship.
This explains why about 10 percent of dogs are returned back to the shelter.
However, it is important to remember that different breeds of dogs affect the levels of separation anxiety in canines.
For instance Shepherds, Golden Retrievers and Springer Spaniels have a high tendency of exhibiting symptoms associated with this syndrome.
This fact greatly contributes to the misinterpretation of this disorder.
This article will therefore, discuss some of the common symptoms for separation anxiety in canines and strategies for dealing with it.
Dogs that fear being left alone in the house usually constantly whine and bark.
Once they are left alone they begin to howl and when anxiety levels increase they whine.
This is followed by barking accompanied by throbs of high pitched yelps thus making a very disturbing noise.
If not rescued, dogs enter into their second phase of separation anxiety.
They become physical and destroy everything in their vicinity.
This is done by chewing, scratching and digging either on the furniture, carpet, walls or doors.
Dogs exhibit this behavior in their attempt to escape from the confined walls or compound.
To some extend this behavior creates a potential danger to the pets as they try to break through glass windows and tear apart cardboard doors.
The other common symptom to use in detecting separation anxiety in canines is their behavior when the owner returns home.
If the dog is overly excited to see you then it might be suffering from this syndrome.
Such dogs excessively jump on their owners and lick them up upon their return.
They try to show their owners they are grateful for their return because they thought they would never see them again.
To effectively curb this disorder it is essential for dog owners' to understand the symptoms for separation anxiety in canines.
For instance they should pay more interest to their dogs when they notice them being too clingy and following them from room to room before they leave.
At times they might show signs of sadness such as starting to growl.
Dog owners should also try to find the root cause for this anxiety.
For instance the dog may have had a traumatic life while young.
Most of the dogs got from the shelter were either abandoned by their previous owners or separated from their mothers at an early age, usually before they were 8 weeks old.
Dog owners should also avoid over cuddling or punishing the dogs as this will worsen the situation.
Obedience training has also proved to curb separation anxiety in canines.
It also creates and maintains a healthy relationship between the dog owner and his dog.